Monday, July 25, 2016

I am a lucky dietitian. I now have a farm truck coming to my work every Wednesday morning in addition to the cute farm co-op down the street. They are just the gentle nudge I need to increase my variety of fruits and vegetables. This week, I tried Fairytale Eggplant (see picture above). It cooked up into a delicious dip along with fresh mint from my roommate's herb garden. My only complaint is that I didn't make more of it!

It also worked out very well that today is Meatless Monday, and we got to promote it our webpage at work! I love when things work out that way.

Ingredients:

1 large head garlic

1 eggplant (1 1/4 lb), cut in half lengthwise

1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

1 ripe tomato, cored, sliced in half and seeded

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Set oven racks at the two lowest levels; preheat to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel as much of the papery skin from the garlic as possible and wrap loosely in foil. Bake until the garlic is soft, 30-40 minutes. Let cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place eggplant halves on the prepared baking sheet, cut-side down. Roast for 10 minutes. Add onion slices and tomato halves to the baking sheet and roast until all the vegetables are soft, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Let cool slightly.

3. Separate the garlic cloves and squeeze the soft pulp into a medium bowl. Mash with the back of a spoon, or use a garlic press, if necessary. Slip skins from the eggplant and tomatoes; coarsely chop. Finely chop the onion. Add the chopped vegetables to the garlic pulp and stir in the lemon juice, mint, oil, salt and pepper.

Saturday, February 20, 2016

During Snowzilla, there wasn't much to do except roll around in the snow and bake, a lot. However, only a combination of boredom and a graham cracker shortage at the corner store would cause me to bake graham crackers. That, and the promise of s'mores over a fire pit in a backyard full of more than 2 feet of snow. I don't know if I would make them again (except under similarly desperate circumstances), but it's nice to know that I can.

Directions:
1. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon into a bowl
2. Melt together the butter and honey. Pour this into the dry ingredients.
3. Mix with a fork, then push the dough together with your hands Don't knead or over-mix. Place the dough on a lightly-floured surface, and roll with a floured rolling pin to 1/8" thick. Cut into rectangles approximately 1 1/4" x 3" in size with a knife, and prick them with a fork. Place on a lightly-greased baking tray, and bake for just 10 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Cool on a rack.

Saturday, February 6, 2016

Since I started working full-time last September, I have relied heavily on leftovers to save me money and keep me eating healthy during the work week. This was one of the best leftover meals I have made so far. When combined with a 4-pack of chicken sausage, this recipe made about 4 1/2 meals for me last week. The flavors of the Spanish rice meld together making it more rich every extra day it hangs out in the fridge. That being said, I still want to experiment with adding other spices and perfect this dish which is sure to be a favorite. Future additions might include chili powder, oregano, garlic, fresh cilantro, hot sauce, or lime juice. I will keep you posted!

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, then add the onions, green peppers, and celery and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute while stirring. Add the rice and stir together to mix. Add the diced tomatoes and the water carefully. Season with the salt and pepper, and add the cumin. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes, until the rice is done, stirring once or twice.